


Sailors and Sirens

by isiscrisis



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst, Big Bang Challenge, F/M, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sailor Arin, Siren Dan, Slow Burn, not like sailor moon but like. on the ocean., siren au, wonder how many people will get my subtle references and jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-18 17:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7324159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isiscrisis/pseuds/isiscrisis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Arin was used to life. He knew what to expect in a day. He woke up in his home, sometimes ate something, did some kind of work on his ship or helping out people around town, and went home. Things were the same. He had a pattern.<br/>But one thing made it interesting. One person.</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Do You Believe In Magic?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin was used to life. He knew what to expect in a day. He woke up in his home, sometimes ate something, did some kind of work on his ship or helping out people around town, and went home. Things were the same. He had a pattern.  
> But one thing made it interesting. One person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't notice how short this chapter was. Sorry about that, they get longer from here.  
> Anyways, I'm so happy that I can finally post this as part of the Game Grumps Big Bang!

After living for a while, the magic starts to disappear from life. When you experience, the myths around it start to disappear. Life could still be fun, but it didn't have that same majesty and wonder.

That was Arin's attitude toward the sea.

He had lived in the same port town all his life, in a decently sized house by the docks, right by his ship, The Grump. He lived comfortably, at least. He lived with what he knew.

He sailed with his first mate Jon, and his small crew, Barry, Ross, and Brian. Jon had been a captain that Arin looked up to, and became longtime friends with. Barry had worked with Jon first, and had tagged along when Jon started to sail with Arin. Ross was one of his first crew members, and was working to become a captain himself. Finally, Brian was a new member to The Grump, coming into the adventuring game late into his life.

Arin was used to life. He knew what to expect in a day. He woke up in his home, sometimes ate something, did some kind of work on his ship or helping out people around town, and went home. Things were the same. He had a pattern.

But one thing made it interesting. One _person_.

Suzy owned a little bakery in the middle of town. He wasn't sure how she kept business, since he didn't think many people would buy pastries, but once he walked in and smelled the sweets and fresh bread, he understood. She was just as sweet as the desserts she made. She kept fresh flowers from Holly's shop, the scents of the bouquets at the small tables mixing with the bread or dessert you got. It was a cute shop, and Arin tried to stop by every day. He tried to buy something each time- he bet he was Suzy's biggest customer- but he mostly came for her.

If he didn't buy anything, whether he couldn't afford it or just couldn't stand something sweet at the moment, he'd help around the shop. He'd go pick up some ingredients, get more flowers from Holly, or just tidy up.

And if she didn't need any errands run, he'd stay with her and tell stories from the sea when she wasn't busy.

And Suzy loved them. She'd be sitting on the edge of her stool at the counter as Arin told her about another crazy adventure or peril, she'd gasp whenever he and his crew were in danger, even though she knew everything would turn out okay.

Normally she'd just listen, and that was a part of Arin's routine. He expected it.

"Do you believe in any myths?" Suzy questioned one day.

"Such as?" Arin shot back.

"You know, giant krakens that eat up the ship, the Bermuda Triangle, stuff like that. Stuff that makes sailors disappear." She wiggled her fingers, trying to add to the spookiness of the idea with a smile.

Arin scoffed. "Only shitty sailors get lost." He grinned and crossed his arms, a plan hitting him like a wave.

"You could always come out with me." Arin proposed, and thought about the idea. He and Suzy, out at sea, looking for the mysteries of the world, slowly wooing her with peril and comfort...

"Isn't it scary?" That was something he hadn't thought of. Suzy had never been out to sea, so she probably wouldn't be too keen on immediately looking for monsters and myths.

"All those chopping waves, and.... that endless ocean?" Suzy legitimately looked scared. Arin just wanted to hold her and tell her it'd be fine- someday.

"It's not bad." He didn't want to lie. "You're on a big ship, you'll be okay."

Suzy was looking down at the counter, fiddling with her hands. She was unsure. Arin opened his mouth to say that she didn't have to go, but she spoke first.

"Bring me something." She was looking back up at him now, more confidence than a moment ago.

"Pardon?"

"Bring me something. Not just a seashell or anything. Something... something that captures the excitement of the sea for you. The reason why you keep setting sail." When Arin looked at Suzy, he knew she had her heart set on this. There was no bargaining or arguing with her now.

"If you bring me that, I'll come out with you. I'll experience what you love, and why." Suzy smiled, seeming excited for this. Too excited for him to turn it down. She looked like a child on Christmas, wonder filling her eyes at what she would find.

That's probably what he had looked like when he first started sailing.

"Deal." Arin held out a hand. "I'll show you how incredible my work is." Suzy shook his hand, sealing the deal. There was no turning back now. The warmth of her hand comforted him, and he knew he'd get to hold it someday.

He just had to find something incredible.


	2. Set Sail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm, a woman that will never love him, and a drink- the perfect scene for a melancholy man.

One week later, Arin had all he needed. The ship was ready for a voyage, they had the water and food they would need- thanks to his crew chipping in, he'd owe them later- and he waved goodbye to Suzy as they left the docks. He felt a spark of that same excitement he'd seen on her face yesterday.   
"So, we're doing this for a girl, huh?" Jon came up behind him, clasping a hand on his shoulder.   
"No! I want a townsperson to understand why I do what I do! What keeps me here, why I love it, what got me into it in the first place!"   
Jon stayed silent, his expression unamused.   
"Okay, it's that  _ and _ a girl." Arin rolled his eyes, and Jon laughed beside him.   
"Well, we'll get to adventure while we're out here too, so at least it's not all for you." Jon shrugged and walked up to the helm. "But we'd better find something quickly, this isn't the same as getting money or glory for finding something."   
"But what if we find something, I get Suzy,  _ and _ we get money or glory for discovering it?" Arin smirked back.   
"You really are a dreamer, Hanson." Jon replied.   
Jon was right.

It had been a month, and they hadn't found anything besides a bit of rough seas. If they had even  _ seen  _ an island, or creature, or even a rock that  _ looked _ like something, maybe his crew would be a little more forgiving. But no, there was nothing. Nothing, and Arin was still as excited as the first day.   
"What do you think we'll see today? No, what do you think we'll  _ find _ today? Wait, what should we be looking for? What do you think Suzy would like?" Arin rambled. "A mermaid? Do you think Suzy would like a mermaid?"   
"Bring her some seawater. Oh, no, a rock!" Jon replied with mock enthusiasm.   
"But that's not exciting." Arin looked at Jon, confused.   
"Well that's the most exciting thing we've found so far!" Jon snapped, but composed himself with a deep breath.   
"Arin, normally, I'd be all for helping you get the girl of your dreams. But after being out here, away from my family and friends, after  _ all of us _ have been away from that, for a month? I'm sick of it. We've sat on this boat for 30 days, and all I've seen is water."   
Arin looked heartbroken. "But-"   
"No, Arin. I mean no disrespect, but from one old captain to a new one, what did you expect? You came out here looking for myths, and you didn't consider why they're called that." The rest of the crew was watching them from down on the deck. Arin didn't think they'd ever seen them fight before.   
"I just wanted to make Suzy happy. Fuck, maybe I'd make  _ myself _ happy while I was out here." Arin could see the statement hit Jon like an arrow through the chest. They both knew they had messed up, but neither one was going to make it better.   
"Boss, there's stormclouds ahead. We... we should just turn back now." Jon muttered, choosing to get this over with as soon as possible instead of trying to fix it now. Jon tried to lay a hand on his shoulder, but Arin jerked away like the touch had burned him.   
"Maybe we'll find something on the way back." Jon mumbled. They both knew that was a lie.   
"You steer. I'm getting a drink." Arin turned sharply to head toward his quarters.   
"Captain, you've never-" Jon tried to argue, and Arin stopped in his tracks.   
"Well I'm drinking now. A storm, a woman that will never love him, a drink- it's the perfect scene for a melancholy man." Arin fired back, his tone a mixture of anger and disappointment.   
"After all, I'm chasing  _ myths  _ right? Why not live like a story right now." With that, Arin left everyone in dismay and dejection, heading to his quarters.   
Arin didn’t drink it. He just sat, staring at it, wondering why he still kept it if he didn't drink. It was a gift, he thought. From his first voyage? He didn't even remember anymore. Who was it even from? If it was from his first voyage, he wasn't old enough to drink it yet. Maybe it was from his first trip as a captain? But by then, his friends knew he didn't drink. His thoughts spun like the whiskey swirled in its bottle, swayed by the waves below the ship. The ship was almost rocking him to sleep, too, like he was a child. He came in here to sulk, and now he was almost asleep...   
Almost. Until he heard a boom.   
Arin jolted awake and ran out on deck, leaving the bottle on his bed. When he looked up, he saw the stormclouds getting closer. His eyes shot to the helm, and he found Jon gripping the wheel like it was keeping him alive.   
"Jon, what the hell are you doing!" He shouted, looking frantically to his crew and the clouds.   
"I felt awful for making you give up on this! What kind of adventure is it if you only stay out for a month?" Jon tried to reason. He was right, it usually took more than a month to find anything, but they needed to get out of this storm.   
"What kind of adventure is it if we die!" Arin had to talk Jon out of this. They all knew the dangers of sailing through a storm.   
"A tragic one!" That was it. Jon had to be stopped. He was ready to kill them just to make Arin feel better, and he didn't think Jon realized that's what he was doing.   
He ran up to the helm, trying to fight Jon off of it.   
"You're mad!" Arin was getting desperate, needing to get through to him. He wasn’t going to let Jon kill them. If it was just Arin, fine. But Barry, Ross, and Brian had nothing to do with this.   
"You're madly in love! I know how to get through a storm, and this way, you'll have  _ something _ to tell Suzy about!" Jon argued.   
Arin opened his mouth to fight back- but he knew it wouldn't work.   
There was no convincing Jon.   
...There was no  _ convincing _ Jon.   
Arin knew what he had to do.   
He ran to his cabin, leaving as Barry, Brian, and Ross were running toward Jon.   
He looked around his room frantically, thinking of what to get.   
Nothing on his desk. Nothing on the shelves. Nothing on-   
His bed.   
He grabbed what he needed and ran back out to his crew.   
"Jon!" He shouted, stopping in the middle of the deck. Barry, Ross, and Brian were trying to pull Jon from the helm, but with his determination, they weren't making much leeway.   
All eyes were on him. This would make a story.   
He ran up to the helm, bounding up the steps. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, but everything was moving so fast.   
"You were right. I don't drink." Arin swung the bottle at Jon's head, shattering as it hit the ground.   
That gift came in handy after all.   
Jon was limp in his crew's arms, and they all at the two captains in shock.   
"Get him to the lifeboats and get out of here!" They all snapped out of their surprise. They could talk about this later once they survived. This was a more pressing issue.   
They stayed, seeming in awe of what Arin was telling them to do. Arin knew what they were thinking. He'd been there; a captain ordering them to leave to save as many people as he could.   
"That's an order!" Arin commanded, and his men nodded solemnly, carrying Jon toward the lifeboats. As they set him in the boat, Barry and Brian ran back to grab barrels of water and food, placing those in the boat before leaving.   
Jon wouldn't even know that Arin was doing this.   
That Jon caused this.   
He had to survive.   
He watched them row away as he tried to steer the ship away from the rapidly nearing storm. The rain started to pour down on him, and he knew he was way too close to death.   
"The waves are too choppy, fuck-" Arin was desperately trying not to panic. He  _ had _ to steer through the storm. He couldn't steer away, he didn't want to abandon his ship- there was no other option.   
The rain poured down even heavier, Arin needing to squint to be able to see anything. His mind was racing even faster than before, trying to figure out if a shape was an obstacle or just a hallucination in his panic, as well as wondering if he would ever get to see his friends, or life, or Suzy, again- what if he didn't survive? Suzy would think it was all her fault, because he came out here for her-   
In an instant, all the breath was knocked out of him, he stumbled backward, slipping on the wet deck planks, and fell into the ocean. He kicked to the surface and coughed the water from his lungs, trying to process what just happened.

The first thing he noticed was an intense pain in his chest. Next, he could barely breathe, both from what felt like a punch to the stomach and from the salty water he just inhaled. He was kicking and waving his arms and absolutely panicking now- what had happened? What did he miss? How could he swim if he couldn’t even breathe? Was this the end? All that effort, for nothing? Hitting his best friend across the head with a bottle- maybe even killing him- and now he was going to die too.   
He was going to die.   
Suzy would never know his feelings.   
Suzy wouldn’t even really know if he died.   
Everyone would have to assume.   
If Jon was still alive, he’d have to live knowing that his actions caused his death.   
He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to-   
As much as he wanted to take deep breaths to calm down, those were not an option. If he tried, his chest killed with pain, the hit had knocked any breath he could have taken from him, and the salt water in his lungs made him cough. He was in a cycle of pain, and it seemed like there was no escape in sight. He tilted his head back, keeping himself afloat as he caught his breath. He needed to get ahold of himself.   
He jumped and winced from the rain stinging his face, but this was better than flailing to keep himself up. He needed to save that energy for actually swimming to safety.   
He glanced at his ship.   
He had crashed.   
He had missed a fairly large rock while he was lost in his thoughts. Hitting that- Hitting it rammed him forward into the helm- that’s where his first loss of breath came from- and he stumbled backwards, and off the ship.   
Now he was here. Trying to float, catching his breath, processing everything.   
Calming down.   
This captain wouldn’t be going down with his ship.   
Once he regained his breath, he assumed he had broken some ribs. Arin looked around, weakly swimming toward the front of the ship to grab a broken plank. It hurt like hell before adrenaline began to take over, but it would make his swimming much easier on him. Once he was ready, he started to swim back in the direction the ship came from.

It would be a fight, that was obvious. He didn’t know how far away safety was, or if he’d ever find it. He wanted to give up- everything hurt so much and he didn’t even know how he had been swimming for just a few minutes- but he couldn’t let himself. He had a life to get back to. His movements became like machinery, autopilot driving him through the stinging of the rain and the water slapping his limbs.   
The sea was inviting, for once.   
Arin hadn’t told Suzy, but he was a bit afraid of the ocean himself. It was vast, she was right about that. Full of possibilities to make you rich- or kill you.   
With the storm clouds blocking all light, the sea looked like Suzy’s hair. He wanted to succumb to it, let it wrap around him, hold him, forever…   
He heard singing.   
He thought he did, at least.   
It was beautiful, calming- much more inviting than the cold water.   
It motivated him.   
That drive for adventure. That curiosity he used to have.   
Arin kept swimming. He let that possibly imaginary voice be his motivation. If he kept going, he’d find a rock or some land. If he found that, he could rest or find that voice. If he found that voice…   
Maybe it’d be exactly what he came out here to find.


	3. The Pipes Are Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin had finally found something to drive him, though it certainly wasn't what he'd expected.

Arin’s breathing was heavy. He didn’t know which was worse, having the wind knocked out of him, or working so hard that it was gone. His muscles were killing him, stinging from the slap of the rain and ocean, burning from the work of paddling. His clothes were clinging to him, and he didn’t know how long he’d been swimming. He almost felt delirious.   
But Arin saw something in the distance. Whether it was real or an illusion, it motivated him again. If it was an illusion, he’d keep swimming until the next one, and if it was real, thank god.   
It was real this time.   
Sweet fucking Christ, it’s real.   
He laughed like a madman all the way there, and he couldn’t be bothered to care.   
He found an island and he survived.   
When he reached land, he felt like he couldn’t hold it tighter, he couldn’t be any closer if he wanted. He kissed the sand, not caring about how it stuck to his lips or got in his mouth, or how it scratched his limbs and clung to his clothes.   
He sobbed with joy at all of the possibilities he had now, all the new hope. He could see his home again, see his friends again, see Suzy again, he’d even have a story for her, and most of all, he was  _ alive _ \-    
There was a cave.   
Arin looked up, and through his tears, he saw a cave.   
He slowly stood, crumbling from how sore he was. He hunched over as he walked toward the cave, slowly making his way there.   
He wouldn’t have to sleep in the rain. That was his excuse for going in.   
He gasped at what he saw.   
The cave was covered in luminescent crystals, glowing a soft blue. They protruded from every angle, like spears threatening to take his life, but they posed no such harm. Their purpose was to grow and be admired. Arin gently touched one on the wall, dragging his finger along the edge. They were smooth, but had definite sides, with a rounded tip. He wanted to do the same with each crystal. There had to be one hundred just in this portion of the cave. He wanted to just sit in awe, inspect every single crystal until each little detail was ingrained in his mind. Arin had never seen anything like this, never even heard of anything like this. Was he the first one to discover this? Or was it just so beautiful that people didn’t want to taint it by attempting to describe it?   
He never wanted to leave, but he had to move on. He kept walking through the cave, the crystals slowly dwindling as he went through. A shame, as both the beauty and the light from them was gone. He kept his hands out in front of him, wanting to avoid running into anything, squinting to try to see in the darkness of the cave.   
Then, light. He approached slowly, giving himself more time for the incredible spectacle before him.   
Arin dragged his eyes around the room, trying to break down what he was seeing, trying to savor it.   
A huge pond of water that looked like it belonged on a tropical island, not inside a cave on an island he had just stumbled upon. Those same crystals he had seen before, lining the pond and the walls.   
In the center of the pond, a decently sized boulder, the pond seeming like a moat compared to it.   
There was something at the top of the boulder.   
Arin ducked behind a rock, not daring to look out at whatever was there.   
But then there was singing. The same singing he thought he had heard while he was swimming here. The reason he was still alive. He fought with himself- what if he was just hallucinating the singing, and what was out there was something that could kill him? How could it be a person, he wouldn’t have been able to hear that out in the ocean.   
But a small part of him persistently argued: what if it is a person? Someone that could help him, someone that saved his life.   
The singing made him feel calm. He just wanted to go towards it, so he peeked out from behind the rock.   
It was a person.   
Up at the very top of the rock- how had they scaled that?- was a person. Soft, smooth tones came from them as they laid on the boulder. They echoed through the caves, almost putting Arin in a trance.   
And in that trance, he’d been looking for too long.   
The singing died off, and Arin saw the person staring back at him.   
He saw the person that had a  _ tail _ staring back at him.   
Arin’s eyes widened, scanning over their mermaid-like tail. It was thin, covering narrow hips and tapering into a wide fin. Between each point of the fin, flesh and scales connected them. The build of it looked creepy, but the scales making it beautiful. The colors shifted from light blue to pale green in the light, and Arin wondered what it looked like up close.   
Arin stood and stepped out from behind the rock, arms in front of him like he was approaching a wild animal. He might as well have been.   
What were you supposed to say to the person that saved your life, which turned out to not be a person?   
“What… what are you?” Arin was sure that wasn’t on the list.   
“I’m… I’m a siren?” The stranger looked confused, raising a brow down at him.   
“…What?” Arin’s jaw dropped slightly in shock.   
“I’m- did I lull you so much that you didn’t catch that?” They snapped back, making Arin blush.   
“No, I just- I came here to find something to impress a girl back home, and-” Arin looked sheepishly up at the siren, finding a smirk on their face.   
“You know, people usually are drawn here by me, but you came here for a girl.” They grinned, leaning on an elbow toward Arin.   
“Uh, yeah, I just-” He paused, thinking of how to phrase what he wanted to say. He was talking to a siren. A siren that could kill him by calming him with singing, that they could have done just moments ago. Any wrong move or word could set the creature off.

“You’re exactly what I need.” Once the words were in the musty air, they both blushed. Arin hoped he hadn’t overstepped.   
“Oh.” They mumbled after a moment. “Oh.” They repeated, a chuckle paired with it. “So it’s like that, huh?” They smirked and dove down into the water, putting Arin on edge. What were they-   
Suddenly they popped back up from the water, right in front of Arin. He let out a yelp in surprise, uneasy about talking with a siren. They were supposed to seduce and eat him, and this one hadn’t done anything like that.   
“Um, yes?” Arin’s eyes shifted around the cave, and he pulled at his dripping shirt.   
“Well, aren’t you cute. I usually go by Danny, but you can call me Dan.” Dan winked and leaned on the edge of the pond.   
“I’m Arin.” He flashed a small smile. He supposed that if Dan wanted to seduce him, he would have done it already. After all, he saw what happened to Arin with that singing. Dan could just sing, and then kill him.   
“Uh, I know we just got introduced, but do you mind if I sleep in here? I’m probably going to pass out pretty soon.” Arin laughed awkwardly. He wasn’t sure how he had even made it this far.   
“Of course, you can always sleep with me.” Dan bit his lip, showing off a small fang.   
“I honestly don’t think I have the energy to move.” Arin admitted. Where did Dan sleep, anyway? And did he sleep? How? In his thoughts, he noticed Dan’s eyebrows raise a little. Was he asking too much of someone he just met?   
“Oh, don’t worry, I can do all the work.” Dan’s voice was low, and the look in his eyes had changed to something more suggestive.   
“Oh, no, please, don’t strain yourself. I can stay here.” Arin shrugged. It wouldn’t be the least comfortable place he’d slept, and at this point, he’d accept anything.   
Dan gasped. “Right in the middle of my cave?” He almost sounded offended at that.   
Arin smiled humbly in response. “I appreciate you wanting me to be comfortable, but I really don’t mind.”   
Dan inched closer to Arin, confusing him. “Well, if you say so.”   
Arin grinned and walked over to a bare portion of the cave wall, sitting against it so he could sleep with his broken ribs. He’d broken them in another accident before, so he knew how to take care of himself. It would be a lot worse without treatment, though…

“Thanks.” He yawned, not able to see the confused look on Dan’s face, unable to hear his confused mumblings about misunderstanding “sleep”.   



	4. Lovestruck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin and Dan begin their lives together, sharing stories of human life, the world outside, and human survival.

Arin blinked the sleep from his eyes the next morning, wondering where he was, but then remembering what had happened. The memories had stuck around, especially in the form of soreness in his arms and legs, and the killing pain in his chest. Yeah, he had definitely broken some ribs.  
At least he was safe. Now he just had to figure out how to get home. He hadn’t really looked around the island last night, maybe there were supplies to build a raft out there. Or he could wait for rescue, but how could they find him? There were no landmarks to mark where they had been, besides the rock that his crew wouldn’t even know about. Besides, they couldn’t even be back to land yet.   
Then he remembered.   
He didn’t even know if they had made it, period.   
His friends could be dead, and he could be stuck here with-   
“Hey there, sleeping beauty.” He turned to face Dan, whose smirk faded once he saw Arin’s expression.   
“What’s going on?” Dan really sounded concerned. And if they’d be living together for a while, he might as well trust him.   
“I’m just thinking about how to get home.” His words faded as he got further into the sentence. Dan looked hurt for a moment, but as soon as Arin noticed, it was gone.   
“Have my charms driven you away already?” Dan teased, as though nothing was wrong.   
“No, no, you seem interesting and all, but- I have a life to get back to, you know?” Arin admitted, hoping it wouldn’t hurt Dan.   
“Including your lover?” Dan replied defensively, clearing his throat after, and Arin was left to blush.   
“She’s not- she’s not my lover. I love her, she’s sweet, and pretty, and she owns this cute little bakery back home.” Arin smiled at the thought of Suzy. He really hoped he’d see her again.   
“You love her, huh?” Dan shot up a brow. “And that’s why you came looking for me?”   
“Well, no- I mean, yes, I love her, but I didn’t really come looking for you.” Arin thought for a moment before continuing. He found a decently sized rock and dragged it to the pond, creating a seat for himself. He’d be here for a while.   
“You see, we had this deal that, if I brought her something that captured the spirit of adventure for me, she’d come out sailing with me sometime.” Dan nodded in response. He hadn’t really expected to keep going, but Dan wanted him to. So Arin told the story of how Jon took control of the ship, how Arin had hit him over the head, and how he had crashed and arrived here. Dan only nodded and hummed, watching and listening with a familiar look.   
“What happened to “only shitty sailors get lost”?” Dan laughed. Arin would have been mad at the insult, but then he noticed Dan’s laugh. With each huff of laughter, an unexpected sound came out. Both because he had never heard someone laugh like that, and because he wouldn’t have thought someone with such a beautiful voice would sound like _that._

With each expelling of breath, a squeak came out. With each sharp inhale, clicks sounded through the cave.

The sound was familiar, but Arin couldn’t seem to-

Then Arin started to laugh as well. The laughing hurt his ribs like nothing else, but now that he had realized, he couldn’t stop laughing. He knew what that sound was.

Dan laughed like a dolphin.

The stark difference echoed through the cave, only making Arin laugh harder. He had never heard someone laugh like that because they _didn’t_. Dan, with his voice that entranced Arin, his singing that made the trance so much worse, squeaked and clicked when he laughed.

“Dude, what is going on with you?” Dan chuckled, a small squeak coming from his throat, and it only set Arin off again. Dan’s expression became more confused as he continued laughing, but he just kept watching Arin.

Once Arin could finally breathe through his laughter and the pain in his chest, he wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Dan.

“Sorry, you, ah, reminded me of something.” Arin didn’t want to directly say that Dan sounded like a dolphin, or explain what dolphins were if he didn’t know, so he left it at that. Dan merely sat for a moment, staring, before rolling his eyes.

“Alright. Now that I know the crash messed with your head too, tell me about before then, if the memories haven’t been wiped away.” Dan shot up a brow, waiting patiently.

“Before then?” Arin pondered the question. Before then was.... Boring. His life was the same thing each day. That didn’t make a story. But he didn’t want to embellish it and lie to Dan, either.

“Well, um… I guess I could start with Suzy.” She seemed to be a sore subject for Dan, based on how he had reacted to Arin leaving to get back to her, but it was all he could think to mention.

“Sure.” Dan said simply.

“She has long black hair, this cute button nose, these pretty bluish green eyes, and her laugh…” Arin sighed happily, lost in thought over the woman he adored.

“Her voice and laugh are higher, but it’s so cute. She has all these freckles around her face, like stars, and she owns this incredible bakery.” His stomach grumbled as he remembered the sweet scent of the shop. He remembered it from going in each day, but the details of them blended together from smelling it so often. It was something he could recognize upon smelling it, but something he could no longer describe.

“Boy, aren’t you lovesick.” Dan shook his head with a small smile. When Arin looked at him, he didn’t look upset anymore. Dan was listening, seemingly without any judgement, other than the occasional teasing.

“Maybe I’m just sick from lack of food. Or dehydrated.” Arin laughed half-heartedly. He hadn’t eaten much that day that he crashed, and he was sure that swimming all the way here had burned a decent amount of energy.

“What do you mean?” Dan’s expression had shifted to a more concerned one. He was sitting- or, swimming?- up straight, his smug smile had disappeared, and Arin could even see the worry in his eyes.

“What? I need to eat and have water, or I’ll die. Don’t you?” Arin was surprised that Dan didn’t know. Were sirens different? Did those rules not apply if he was only half human?

“I mean, yeah, I need to eat, but- how long can you go without those things?” Dan’s eyes were darting around the cave now, as if Arin wouldn’t notice.

“I can survive for 3 weeks without food, though it won’t be fun, and 3 days without water.” Dan choked upon hearing that information, catching Arin off guard.

“3 days- can’t you just drink salt water?” Dan asked, his hand unconsciously raising to the gills on his neck.

“No, that actually makes it worse.” Arin informed him, and Dan’s face paled even further.

“Hey, it’s alright. You have fish in your pond, right? I can get water from there too, if it’s fresh.” Arin tried to reassure. He needed to start thinking about surviving here. He wanted to get home as soon as possible, of course, but in his broken condition, it’d be hard to build a raft to sail home with.

“Right.” Dan nodded in acknowledgement, seeming to calm down.

“Well, now that I know you won’t die in a couple days, tell me about your home life?” Dan laughed uneasily, obviously still nervous about Arin.

“I live in a port town. Uh- that means I live on the water, right by the docks where we can go out to our boats to sail.” Arin didn’t know how much Dan knew about human life, considering that he didn’t know humans would die quickly without food and water.

“My house is decently sized. It’s an old house, so the floors creak, the paint is peeling, it’s a general mess, really. Honestly, I’m surprised that I haven’t gotten to repaint the house, with how much free time I have between errands. I was planning on doing it soon, once I got some extra money for paint. I should do some reconstruction too, since I’m waiting for the flooring to crumble beneath me. But even though it’s messy... it’s my home.” Arin shrugged. Dan was watching intently, hopefully understanding what he was talking about.

“With all of its faults, it has good aspects. My bed is cozy and comfortable after a long day, I get to wake up to a beautiful ocean sunrise most mornings, it’s big enough that if Suzy and I ever got together, she could move in and-” Arin cleared his throat. Right. Dan didn’t seem fond of Suzy.

“You know. Anyway, it’s nice. What about you? What do you think of the cave, what’s your life like?” Arin glanced around the cave. How had Dan even gotten in here if there was no water from the ocean leading into it…?

“Private.” He replied sternly. Arin looked back to find a grumpy looking Dan, eyebrows furrowed, gills and nostrils flaring, paired with crossed arms.

“Alright.” Arin laughed awkwardly. What happened? Did he say something wrong?

“I’m going to bed.” Dan grumbled and dove under the water before Arin could react.

“But it’s morning!” Arin shouted after him, to no avail. Dan had left to wherever the rest of the cave led to, and he didn’t know when he’d be back.

The cave seemed so empty without him.

He hadn’t been alone yet, besides when he slept last night. Currently, Dan was the only person he had to talk to. In his injured condition and how long it would take to build a raft and gather supplies to go home, being on bad terms with him would make the time here unbearable.

Well, if Dan _was_ mad at him, Arin had better start working on gathering those supplies now.

He stood with a whine, rubbing at his side once he was up. He figured building would hurt too much right now, but he could at least scope out the island, see what he could find for supplies, even if he couldn’t gather them yet.

He made his way out of the damp cave, looking at the crystals as he passed.

Then, he had an idea.

Dan had probably never seen what the rest of his cave looked like. If Dan wasn’t going to talk to him, then he’d have to make the first move. As he looked around the island, he took note of everything he could see, taking note of it in vivid detail.

As he walked back into the cave that night, his heart pounded in his chest. He was so excited to tell Dan about the island, all of the wonders he couldn’t see.

“Dan?” He called, his voice echoing through the cave as he reached the main section of the cave. Arin repeated his name several times, wondering if Dan was just underwater and couldn’t hear him. After another few minutes, he sighed and presumed Dan was still upset. He walked near the pond and sat at his rock with a pout. He had been so excited to tell Dan about his day, but he had messed things up somehow. Had he mentioned Suzy too much? Should he not have asked about Dan’s life? Was Dan ever going to talk to him again?

First move. Right.

“Dan,” Arin started, considering his phrasing for a moment. He hoped this wouldn’t make things worse.

“I don’t know what I did to make you upset, but… I’m sorry. I’m going to be here for a while, and I don’t want things to be awkward between us. Now, if you’ll allow me, I wanted to tell you about the cave outside of here. I assume you haven’t seen it, since you need to stay in water.” Arin let out a nervous breath, the only sound going through the cave.

“Stay silent for a yes?” Arin proposed with a bittersweet smile. With no response, he had his answer.

“It’s so gorgeous, Dan. The whole thing feels so... inviting.” Yes. A good way to start.

“When you first leave this area, it’s dark. When I first got here, all I could hear was your singing and all of the water dripping off of my clothes. I had to stick my hands in front of me so I wouldn’t hit anything.” Arin giggled.

“As you go further through, these crystals- just like the ones in here- start to protrude from the floor. Slowly, they rise to the walls, speckling it until it's covered, then the ceiling. Once they’re all around you…” Arin sighed.

“I wanted to stay there forever. At night, they glow and lead you in. You don’t know what it’s leading you to, but you want to keep following it. They glow in this gorgeous azure color, and in the day, this pale blue light reflects in stripes on the walls.”

Still no response from Dan.

“The beach is amazing too. The sand wasn’t hot enough to burn your feet, and it was so soft and fine. There were these huge stalks of bamboo, probably a few feet taller than me, some patches of grass in the water, and you could walk around the shore without any fear of being nipped by a crab. It's like a tropical vacation, I feel like I should be sipping out of a coconut out there. Lie back in a chair and tan, drink too many fruity margaritas, walk the perimeter of the island with a loved one at sunset.” Arin paused.

“Sorry. All the walking stuff doesn’t really apply to you. It was nice, though.” Arin grinned.

As he kept telling the events of the day, he found himself relaxing against his rock, falling asleep. The rock wasn’t comfortable in the slightest, but it was like reading a story to a child before bed. Maybe it was doing the same thing for Dan.

“I’m falling asleep over here, buddy. Snore if you are too.” Arin smiled with heavy-lidded eyes, his smile widening when he heard an obvious snort in the distance.

“Glad you’ve been listening. I wasn’t going to repeat it tomorrow morning. Goodnight, Dan.” Arin grinned, letting his eyes fully close. He’d get a good night of sleep tonight.

Or, he thought he would.

As he fell asleep, he saw visions of crashing waves and baring teeth, crests of waves matching the white of fangs. The edges of his ship smashing against a gray boulder, paired with brown locks of hair against a rock floor. Red stained hands moving from Jon’s head, and blood coming from his own.

Nightmares of what could be in an old life, and what could be here.

His friends dying or forgetting about him, and him dying with no one to know his fate.

His friends, and Dan.


	5. Gone Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh.” Arin wasn’t sure of what to say. Thanks, you’re pretty much saving my life by bringing me this? I would actually die without you?

When Arin woke up the next morning, he found two fish in front of him.

One he was used to, and Dan.

“What’s this?” Arin asked, looking up to see Dan pouting.

“You mentioned being hungry last night, so I brought you some food.” The admission poured out slowly, as if he was a child admitting to stealing cookies from the jar. Considering the night’s argument, Dan must have been embarrassed about it. At least things seemed alright between them now.

“Oh.” Arin wasn’t sure of what to say.  _ Thanks, you’re pretty much saving my life by bringing me this? I would actually die without you?  _ Sure, Arin probably  _ could _ catch some food and get water, but it certainly wouldn’t be easy or painless.

“Thank you.” Arin hoped that would suffice. He smiled warmly, standing up slowly with a groan. Dan watched him get up, his expression more neutral now.

“How are you feeling?” Dan tilted his head, resting on the edge of the pond.

“Still like shit. But I appreciate the concern.” Arin chuckled. He left the cave and got some wood and kindling for the fire. Luckily it wasn’t too damp from the rain when he first arrived here, and he hoped he’d be able to start a fire.

“What’s that for?” Dan asked once he returned.

“It’s for a fire. I have to cook the fish so I can eat it.” Arin informed him, but when he looked back from building the fire, Dan still looked confused.

“I can’t eat a fish straight out of the water. I have to take all the scales and skin off, take out the bones and brains and everything, and then I put it over this fire, and  _ then _ I can eat it.” Dan nodded this time, seeming to understand better now.

“Why do you know so much about this?” Dan questioned.

“Oh, I started on a fishing boat, and I still fish for money. When I do it now, I keep a bit of the fish for myself, and I butcher it. Besides occasionally being paid for errands or favors, it’s my only source of income.” Arin admitted. It’d been about 13 years since he’d started working on boats. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like doing it for the rest of his life.

“You started off on a fishing boat?” Dan’s tone was a mixture of wonder and confusion. Hopefully he took no offense to Arin fishing when he was half-fish. “How do you go from fishing boat to captain of your own ship?” While Dan was asking, Arin sat down at his rock seat to start the fire, then turned to address Dan.

“I don’t really know what made me get into it, but it did start my love for adventure.” Arin smiled fondly at the memory. He was a young teen when he started- he questioned how anyone even let him near a boat at that age, let alone as a job.

“How much adventure do you get on a fishing boat?” Dan scoffed.

“It’s more dangerous than you think! Or, well, it felt like it for me, anyway.” Arin shrugged. “I always felt like there could be a shark or a whale that could destroy our boat. I, uh, I actually lived through a crash kind of like mine while I was on that fishing boat. After that, I understood what horrible things could happen, but I also understood the thrill of it.” Arin panicked for a second while he patted his pants pockets. Luckily for him, he had kept a little knife in one of his pockets, and it hadn’t fallen out over the course of the crash. He skinned the fish before proceeding, deciding it would be better to have his whole focus toward that.

“By working hard on the boat and sucking up to the captain, I got higher in rank and made more money, and I could buy my own ship. Jon, my current first mate, was my captain on that ship. He seemed to enjoy it, as far as I could tell. Eventually he decided he wanted to just work on a ship instead of leading it, and he took his first mate Barry with him. Ross joined later, wanting to be a captain himself, but starting off on my ship. Finally, Brian started recently. I think he was a teacher before this. No idea why he’d switch to sailing, but to each their own.” Arin explained how his crew had come to be, thinking back to when they were all much younger than they were now.

“So… what happened, then? You said it got boring?” Dan seemed to tiptoe toward the subject, and Arin understood why. Asking someone how their life’s work became uninteresting was definitely uncomfortable. But Arin didn’t mind, Dan was just curious.

“Yeah. I’ve been doing the same thing for 13 years, right? When I got my own ship, I was so excited because I’d get to adventure and see all of the things I wouldn’t get to on the boat, but I also found out about all of the responsibilities with it. I had to hire a crew, pay them, pay for repairs for the ship, everything. I guess I was thinking of it like a child. I thought owning a ship would be fun, like how a kid wants to grow up and be free, but then I learned about the not fun things it involved. I grew up.” Arin frowned with a shrug.

“Wow.” Dan sighed. “That got heavy.”

“Sorry.” Arin had busied himself with attempting to butcher the fish while he was telling his story, and now, it was as ready as he could get it.

“No, it’s fine, I just didn’t really think it would. I thought you’d just talk about Suzy since you’re so in love.” And just like that, the mood was back.

“I don’t only talk about her! Besides, I don’t know her that well yet. I like her, but I don’t get to talk to her outside of work, and she never talks about herself.” Arin huffed, mock grumpy.

“...Whatever you say.” Dan smiled and swum away as Arin started the fire.

Maybe he was just tired from the work of building up the fire, but Arin swore he heard a little surprise in Dan’s voice.


	6. Show And Sing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once he looked at Dan, he saw a shy expression, one he’d never seen.  
> “I, uh… I was wondering if… if you could.... Teach me about the human body?”  
> "How do you want me to do that...?"

**** A month in, Arin felt comfortable enough to start collecting supplies. He was still in pain, of course, but he had grown used to it. As he chopped down bamboo for a raft, he could ignore the pain.

What he couldn’t ignore, however, was the nightmares.

Since that one night, they had only gotten worse. He wasn’t active in the dreams, either, he served as a cameraman, watching everything happen from an outside perspective. They varied between the two topics of his friends never knowing what happened to him, forgetting about him, or never making it home, and Dan killing him in various ways.

Needless to say, exhaustion started to pair with the pain.

He didn’t understand it. He trusted Dan. He hadn’t opened up yet, sure, but Arin let it be. If Dan was going to tell him about his life, he’d do it in time. Arin couldn’t demand it from him.

Plus, Dan was friendly in every way. He brought Arin food, talked to him for hours some days, and had never mentioned eating people. Come to think of it, Arin didn’t think he had sang since he got here, or if he did, Dan made sure he couldn’t hear it.

So why did that fear stay?

With the fears about his friends, he had no proof besides hope that they would be okay. With Dan, the only argument against him was that he was a siren, and that’s what he was supposed to do.

Arin frowned and finished cutting off the stalk before walking back with the poles under his arm. As he entered the cave, there was no sight of Dan, but he brushed it off and sat, laying out the bamboo. He vaguely remembered how to build this, he’d have to try it out at some point...

“Hey, Arin?” Dan’s voice echoed slightly and Arin turned from building his raft.

“Yeah?” Once he looked at Dan, he saw a shy expression, one he’d never seen.

“I, uh… I was wondering if… if you could.... Teach me about the human body?”

Out of all the things Dan  _ could’ve _ asked, that wasn’t one Arin would have expected.

“How do you want me to do that...?” Arin laughed nervously, and it seemed to ease Dan.

“I think I’ve become a bad influence on you. A month ago,  _ I _ would have made a joke like that.” Dan joked back.

“It’s a legitimate question! What do you want to know?” Arin crossed his arms, but the smile stayed.

“Just… how it works, I guess. What about your injury?” Dan closed up again. Well, that was a relief for Arin, at least. He wouldn’t have been surprised about Dan asking to learn about the human body by watching it. Arin walked up to the pond and sat down, dipping his legs in the cool water.

“When I crashed and slammed into the wheel of the ship, I broke some ribs. I had to swim all the way here after that, which was fucking awful, and it hurt them more.” Arin traced a finger along his ribs, and Dan followed along with his own.

“Is that why you have to sleep sitting up?” Dan looked from his own chest to Arin’s.

“Yeah!” Arin grinned, and he could see the light in Dan’s eyes. He was really excited to learn about this.

“If I lie down, I can’t breathe, and it hurts really badly. Sleeping sitting up isn’t comfortable either, but I can breathe at least.” Arin nodded, and could almost see the light bulb above Dan’s head.

“Is that why you haven’t been sleeping well lately?” Another unexpected question from Dan, and another one that Arin didn’t know how to answer. At least Dan was being honest with his curiosities.   
“Partially, yes.” He couldn’t sleep well due to his ribs, of course, but... the nightmares certainly didn’t help.

Thinking about it, they extended beyond fears of his friends and Dan. He had nightmares about how the crash could have gone worse. Ones where his ribs are broken worse, and he can’t possibly swim, where he sinks to the bottom and has to watch it all happen. How he’d never see his old life again, dreams of his friends living life without him, Jon feeling guilty about Arin’s death, where he isn’t missed. But worst of all, the ones where he had to watch himself be consumed.

After each night, he tried to tell himself that if Dan was going to kill him, he would have done it when he first came here. Dan had been singing when Arin first came in, and he could have kept singing, and lured him over to kill him. He just had to remember that.

Sirens didn’t introduce themselves.

“I can always help you sleep.” Dan offered, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Oh? How would you do that?” Arin teased. Hopefully he hadn’t missed anything important from Dan.

“I can sing you to sleep.” Dan suggested it casually, but with Arin’s previous thoughts, it struck a pang of fear in him.

“I don’t know…” Arin mumbled, shifting slightly. He trusted Dan, but the nightmares were always in the back of his mind. He did need sleep if he wanted to keep working, though. He couldn’t keep running on fumes like this.

“Can I try it? I don’t have to put you to sleep, I can just help you relax.” Dan seemed to be losing steam in his suggestions. He didn’t want Dan to close himself off again, but he still wasn’t sure.

_ He would have done it when I first got here. _ Arin reminded himself and took a breath.

“Okay. Do the relaxing one first, and then I’ll see.” Arin compromised, and he could tell Dan was happy with that. He practically bounced in the water, spinning in a circle before facing Arin again.

“You’re like a big puppy.” Arin admitted with admiration in his tone. Despite the dirty jokes Dan made, he was so innocent when it came to humans and their lives. He didn’t seem to know anything about it, so Dan’s eyes always lit up when he learned something new.

“This pup is gonna sing you to sleep.” Dan grinned and swam up to Arin, residing next to his legs.

“You’re going to sing me to  _ relaxation _ .” Arin frowned. He wanted to make sure that was clear, he didn’t even know how this worked, besides when he first came here.

“But you’ll enjoy it so much that you’ll want me to sing you to sleep forever.” Arin rolled his eyes at Dan’s argument, and prepared himself for what was about to happen.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Arin let out a shaky sigh. He was hopeful that Dan wouldn’t do anything, but the concern remained.

Dan cleared his throat and Arin shut his eyes.

“Numi, numi yaldati, numi, numi, nim. Numi, numi k’tanati, numi, numi, nim.” Dan began to sing in a language Arin didn’t understand, but it worked nonetheless. His lids became heavy immediately, all that he could see through the slivers of his eyes blurring. His muscles relaxed, forcing out a breath. He couldn’t even feel the pain of his ribs. Dan hadn’t been singing for long and yet Arin felt like he was falling asleep already. He opened his eyes, but found it difficult to keep them that way. He wanted to watch Dan, try to figure out how he could relax Arin so easily, but he looked relaxed as well. Dan was so focused on his singing, as if every fiber in his body was devoted to the task of putting Arin to sleep. His voice was so soft and low, and the slow song sounded like a lullaby.

But it was more than just singing.

Arin felt  _ safe _ .

Dan was singing, close enough that he could easily jump at him, but he wasn’t trying to do anything besides sing. He didn’t even move besides his tail, which had to move to keep him up.

Arin barely felt the rock seat by the fire press against his back, but he heard the smile in Dan’s voice. He knew it was working, and Dan was going to be smug about it in the morning.

“Dan…” Arin mumbled, barely able to form words in the sleepy trance he was in.

“Numi, numi, yalda-hmm?” Dan cut himself off, but kept his voice low.

“I’m… I’m ready… to…” Arin’s voice was groggy, and even though Dan stopped singing, he was falling asleep. Even his speaking voice was soothing.

“Sleep?” Dan whispered the rest of his sentence, and Arin nodded weakly.

“Goodnight, Big Cat.” Dan cooed, and the last thing Arin felt was hands moving his legs out of the water.

The nightmares stopped.


	7. Guppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s a shame that people don’t get to know you.” Arin answered after a moment, flicking his eyes back up to Dan’s. The brown of his eyes matched his hair, too. Yet another detail to take in.  
> “You think?”

“Morning, Big Cat.” Dan greeted after surfacing from the water, hair clinging to his skin. He’d been using the pet name for a while now, and Arin had gotten used to it. It was cute, even if he didn’t know when exactly it had started, or why Dan called him that.

“Morning.” Arin stretched his arms out, letting out a low sound as his muscles tensed and relaxed. Dan sung him to sleep most nights, and Arin couldn’t recall a time where he slept better. Apparently Dan’s beautiful voice could be used for good.

“I’ll never understand how you do that.” Arin smiled, his tone soft and admiring.

“Relaxing with my voice? I don’t know, it just kind of… does it. Guess it comes with being a siren.” Dan shrugged, pulling himself to the edge of the pond.

“I can tell you about other parts of siren life, though.” The offer shocked Arin, and he saw Dan looking nervously at the stone floor in front of him.

“What- really?” Over the last 3 months that Arin lived here, Dan had never opened up like this. He had asked Arin about his life, but never spoken about his own.

“I’d love to hear about it.” Arin’s smile grew until his cheeks hurt. Seeing his enthusiasm made Dan perk up too.

“Oh, good!” Dan grinned, disappearing into the vibrant blue water for a moment to cool off again. He was so glad that Dan wanted to tell him about siren life, and Arin was excited to learn about it.

“It’s not incredibly different, I don’t think.” Dan began once he resurfaced.

“Besides the gills, tail, and magical voice, we’re exactly alike.” Arin shot back sarcastically, earning a glare from Dan, though it was spoiled with a smirk.

“Whatever man. We’re still born the same way, we spend lots of time with our parents when we’re young, all of that. But as sirens grow up, our parents start letting us hunt on our own, go out swimming on our own, until we’re eventually self-reliant. It’s, ah, kind of lonely, actually.” A light blush tinted Dan’s cheeks, and Arin felt a pang of pain in his heart. People had to be like Arin had been, too afraid of what he was to get to know him.

But Arin worked through that, and now he could say Dan was one of his best friends.

He sighed and let his eyes trail over Dan. His pale scales dotted his face like freckles, varying blues and greens on the edges of his face, across his nose, and down his neck. The light blue ones reminded Arin of the light from the crystals, and the green reminded him- in fact, they were almost exact- of Suzy’s eyes. Next, they traveled down and across his collarbone, over his shoulders, and became more frequent down his arms and chest. Anything below his shoulders shone from the water he had just dipped into, causing the scales to reflect light even more, like the crystals of a chandelier. As they neared his stomach, the skin became so sparse that they looked like their own flesh colored scales, then completely disappeared by his hips into his tail. Beads of water slid and clung to his skin, magnifying each scale it passed. His wild head of hair had flattened with the weight of the water, little wisps and strands sticking to his neck and forehead. He’d never noticed these details of Dan, but he stared at them like a painting. Trying to remember them, trying to find anything he hadn’t seen yet.

“It’s a shame that people don’t get to know you.” Arin answered after a moment, flicking his eyes back up to Dan’s. The brown of his eyes matched his hair, too. Yet another detail to take in.

“You think?” Dan said quietly, twirling his finger in the water, creating a tiny whirlpool.

“Dan. You’ve-” Arin released an exasperated sigh.

“I’ve known you for 3 months. Over those 3 months, you’ve helped me to survive, you’ve kept me company, and honestly, you’ve changed.” Dan looked panicked at the last point, but Arin held up a hand.

“In a good way. When I first got here, you called me Sleeping Beauty, and flirted to no end. It was fine, but you had to know that nothing would come of it. Now, you’re an amazing person. You don’t flirt anymore, you’re kind and open, you’re curious about human life. And now, you’re opening up to me, and if you only ever tell me about general siren life, that’d be okay with me.” Arin smiled, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

“Other people don’t get to experience that. They don’t get to experience  _ you _ .” Arin took a deep breath. Admitting all of this took a lot from him.

“That’s a shame.” He finished with a nod. Dan was still, his pink lips slightly parted, his face more flushed than before. The pink brought out the blue and green scales, another feature.

“Wow, Arin. I- wow. Thank you.” Dan beamed, running a hand back through his hair to move the stray wisps.

“No problem.” Arin grinned and stretched back on his rock before continuing.

“Now, keep telling me about life.”

Over the next few hours, Dan taught Arin all about sirens. They were born like mammals and had to be brought above water for the first few days while their gills opened up.

“I guess my parents would take turns holding me above the water.” Dan laughed, squeaks and laughs leaving his mouth, causing Arin to laugh as well. He dipped under the water and held his arms above the surface like he was carrying a ball, swimming in circles and groaning through the bubbles, making Arin laugh more.

Next, sirens had to learn how to swim. He’d mostly learn how to move his tail while his parents held him for the first few days, but once he could go fully underwater, moving his torso was a different task.

“My parents set me into the water, I’d move my tail, and since I didn’t move the rest of my body, I just did flips.” Dan demonstrated the motion, firmly keeping his hands at his sides while his swimming turned into front flips.

“You were the worst at swimming, huh?” Arin teased and Dan splashed some water up at him.

“Ooh, Flipper is feisty.” Arin laughed and earned more splashes, trying to block them by weakly putting his hands in front of him.

“I swam all the way here! Nothing you do can compare!” Arin flinched as more water hit his clothes.

“I’ve swum all my life, you can’t do shit!” Dan flicked one final wave at him and crossed his arms.

“Don’t tell me you were bad at hunting, too.” Arin smirked while Dan blushed.

“...Shut up.” Dan huffed and hid underwater as Arin laughed.

Next, the fangs developed. These were essential for eating the prey that sirens would soon learn to hunt.

“Do they hurt?” Arin asked, scanning his eyes along Dan’s bared teeth. They reminded him of shark teeth; they were wide near the gums, coming to a sharp point at the end. If he showed his teeth when he smiled, they lined up perfectly, creating a beautiful but fatal grin. They were almost white like human teeth as well, though they possessed a slight gray tint.

“Coming out, sure. But I can bite a fish right after I pluck it from the water, and they’re cute.” Dan punctuated his joke with a wink, leaning smugly on the lip of the pond.

“Uh huh.” Arin rebuttled, shaking his head. “Being able to bite the head off of a fish is just adorable.” Dan’s smile transformed into a scowl, but Arin knew it wasn’t serious.

“They are intimidating though. When humans are babies, we go through teething, where the teeth begin to come out of the gums, and babies chew on a lot of things to ease the discomfort. We have baby teeth that eventually fall out, and then our adult set grows in.” Arin leaned back on an elbow on his rock as he explained human life.

“Oh, sirens do that too. We lose some in the womb, and afterwards, we grow them about once a month.” Dan revealed his teeth again, tapping them to make his point.

Arin stared in disbelief. “Once a  _ month _ ?” If they hurt coming out, that had to be a constant pain. “Where do you put them all?”

“I have a corner for them in my cave. I have a pile of 5 years worth of teeth.” Dan remained monotone, acting like it was nothing while the color drained from Arin’s face.

“I’m joking! Joking, Arin. I just toss them in the water, let them sink. Then I don’t have to deal with them.” Dan laughed, holding out his hands in defense.

“That’s not much of a comfort.” Arin sighed, relieved that he didn’t have to picture a giant stack of sharp teeth anymore.

“It’s better than the pile, isn’t it?” Dan smiled, showing his teeth, and Arin jumped at the sight of them.

For hunting, in Dan’s case, he’d sing and lure in fish, comforting them before eating them. Seducing people came later in life, and he got lessons in that from his parents as well.

“You know, I think you could have seduced them as a kid. Do some flips, look cute.” Arin started to snort before he could finish the suggestion, and Dan only looked grumpier.

“You know, I actually hate you.” Dan taunted, pretending to be upset while the smile remained on his lips.

Eventually, sirens did everything on their own. The skills he needed could be picked up pretty quickly, and Dan was completely independent at 4 years old.

“You were only 4 when you had to survive for yourself?” Arin’s brows rose in surprise.

“Well, yes and no. I was four, yes, but comparing it to how a human looks, I’d be 12.” Dan told him casually.

“Still, you’d look like a kid.” Arin tried to imagine a tiny, awkward Dan. Scrawny, scales just appearing on his skin, varying in color on his tail.

“I could eat fish, so I was fine. Besides, the next year, I could seduce people.” Arin thought of 18 year old looking Dan. Still scrawny, but his scales resembled the ones he had now.

“So wait, how old are you now? In both measurements.” Arin approached the question slowly, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

“In human years, I’m 36. In regular years, I’m 12.”

Arin nearly screamed.

“How the- you’re older but also younger than me.” Arin curled up, resting his head in his hands in distress.

“Yup. I live for about 30 years, more or less.” Dan mentioned, causing him to curl up further.

“I’m almost 30, Dan, stop it.” Arin pressed at his temples with his thumbs, trying to process all of this.

“Dan- Dan, stop laughing at my pain.” Arin complained, which only made Dan laugh harder.

“Hey, you’re 78 in siren years. You cougar.” Dan laughed again, and Arin actually screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this might be my favorite chapter. It was so fun to write tiny siren Dan!


	8. Confession Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan looked up at Arin, tears streaming down his cheeks, eyes wide and wet.  
> Dan looked vulnerable.

After- what had it been? Four months?- His raft was coming along nicely, and it was nearly done. He could easily get water from Dan’s pond, and he could get food from around the island, though it was mostly fish. It would take a long time for Arin to get back home, so he wanted to be prepared enough.

But he couldn’t be prepared for not wanting to leave.

He missed his old life, of course. He missed Suzy, his friends, he wondered if they had made it back and if Jon was okay.

But at the same time, he didn’t miss the familiarity of it all. The repeating schedule of his life.

With Dan, things were different. It felt strange to admit, but it seemed like Dan was the excitement Arin had been looking for for the last 13 years. With Dan, he could escape his old life and the responsibilities there. Dan was a new routine.

There were equal pros and cons to each side, but he could only choose one.

He found himself slowing down on his raft. He focused on the arguments of leaving versus staying here.

If he stayed, there might not be enough food for both of them. Maybe Arin wouldn’t recover from his broken ribs if he didn’t get help, and then Dan would have to keep supplying for them.

Then there was the looming idea of regretting his choices in life by going home and living the same thing every day.

“Arin?” Just the person he had been thinking about.

“Huh?” Arin opened his mouth to continue, but when he saw Dan, something different pushed forward.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Arin spoke softly and rushed over to the pond, seeing his expression in better detail.

Dan looked upset when Arin was far away, but once he got closer, he noticed something.

Dan’s lip was quivering. He was holding back tears.

“I-” Dan’s voice shook. Arin hushed him and knelt down, getting face to face with his friend.

“It’s okay, take your time.” Arin reassured him. He wouldn’t rush him, but concerns filled his mind. Was Dan hurt? Was something wrong with Arin? Worries ran around his thoughts while he waited for Dan to continue.

“I…” Dan pushed out a breath. “I’m stuck here.”

“What do you mean?” Arin laid a hand on Dan’s shoulder, rubbing his thumb on it comfortingly.

“I wasn’t born here, Arin. I was born in the ocean. I was free. Then…” Dan took a breath.

“Someone took me, and stuck me in here.” The admission hit Arin like a punch, and it certainly wasn’t being kind to Dan, either.

“Take your time, Dan.” Arin whispered, moving his hand down to his arm.

“When I was 21 in your years, I was really good at seducing people. Once, I… I attracted this sailor. He was so nice, and he’d sail out to see me, just by himself. He didn’t want his crew to know. It hurt, but I understood. People wouldn’t believe him, they’d lock him away. But it was nice, he was a good person. His laugh was low and you could hear it for miles, he was sweet, he cared about people- he cared for me, Arin. He did, I know-” Dan choked up and covered his mouth.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m not fighting you on this.” Arin shushed him, tracing his thumb around one of Dan’s scales. The edges were hard but smooth, and the motion distracted him so he wouldn’t cry too.

“We were together for a few months, and he just started talking less and less. I’d ask what was wrong, and he’d say he was thinking of other things. Then, one day…” Dan paused to compose himself. It was obviously taking a lot of energy to bring this up, so he was letting Dan take as much time as he needed. Talking about the person that took his freedom away had to take a lot out of him.

“One day, he snapped. He stayed up on his ship and wouldn’t be convinced to come and sit with me. He said I wasn’t being like a siren, that, if I wasn’t going to be flirty like I was in the beginning, I should be killing him. I tried and tried to tell him that I wanted to know him, I didn’t want to just be a seductive creature, that I _loved_ him- but he wouldn’t have it. He threw a net over me, dragged me through the water until he found this place, and carried me through.” Dan’s words slowed as he described how he was forced here, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

“Thinking about it, he didn’t care if there was water in here or not. He had never been here before, he didn’t know what it was like. Maybe I got lucky. Maybe this pond is the reason I lived, maybe it was a last act of sympathy. Maybe he threw me in here instead of on the ground as an act of love.” Dan’s ideas all had a tone of cynicism, bitterness.

“He didn’t do that out of love, Dan. People that love you don’t leave. They don’t leave you to die.” Arin shook his head, his grip tightening slightly on Dan’s arm.

“Oh, you can read my mind, huh?” Dan huffed out a laugh. Arin started to ask what he meant, but was interrupted.

“He left me to die. I’ve been here for almost 5 years, almost half of my life, Arin. Half of my life so far, I’ve lived in this _shithole_.” Dan tried to keep his voice stern, but it shook with the tears falling from his eyes.

“There’s only so much fish here.” Dan finished, the rest of his body shaking now. What did he...

“Oh god, Dan...” Arin breathed upon his realization.

“What kind of horrible person…” Arin stopped himself. Dan definitely already knew this lover was a terrible person.

“Dan, I’m so sorry.” Arin shook his head, not knowing how to help him or why he was telling him now.

“Back when you said your life was boring- I can relate. I wake up, I swim, I eat, and I sleep. That’s it. That’s the rest of my life.” Dan huffed out a breath and took a deep one, trying to collect himself.

“You’re the first person to come in so long. I wanted to just push you away so it wouldn’t happen again, I _tried_ , Arin-” He choked on a sob, and Arin’s heart broke.

“I tried, and I just- I don’t want you to leave.” Dan looked up at Arin, tears streaming down his cheeks, eyes wide and wet.

Dan looked vulnerable.

Arin slid his hand from Dan’s arm to his cheek, wiping away the falling tears.

“I don’t want to leave either.” Arin admitted, tears filling his own eyes. He didn’t want to leave, but with what Dan just told him, he definitely couldn’t survive here.

He could bring Dan with him, but how? How would the town react to him?

They’d probably trap him in a tank for observation.

He was stuck between a cave and an old life.

It was happening again; the exciting choice was revealing its responsibilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was really hard to not make a Hamilton joke with this title.


	9. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the time, he thought about his port home.  
> But some days, he thought of Dan.

As Arin continued to gather supplies for the trip home, his mind wandered. It wasn’t an interesting task, so he daydreamed to keep his thoughts occupied. They varied from dumb jokes or voices for the fish he collected, to serious thoughts about his life.  
Most of the time, he thought about his port home. He searched his mind, trying to remember the details of Suzy’s shop. The pineapple yellow walls were decorated with pictures of her favorite customers, some actual photographs, some just sketches of the people that came in. That was one thing he knew about Suzy, she was an artist on the side. He believed Holly was an artist as well, vaguely recalling Suzy talking about drawing with her on the boardwalk. He’d have to take a closer look next time he went there, but from what he could remember, they were really accurate sketches. She’d ask people if they wanted to be sketched if they had time and the shop wasn’t busy, and Suzy would sit across from them at a table, drawing their likeness. She put so much passion into everything she did, even a hobby like her art.  
Next, the light pink, round tables were topped with a flower centerpiece from Holly’s shop. They usually were a pale purple color, otherwise they were a simple white. On the left and right walls were more counters you could sit at with a pink barstool matching the tables, as well as a view out the windows. The counter Suzy worked at was transparent glass, sliding open in the back so Suzy could grab pastries.  
Oh, the pastries. Arin missed those the most.  
She sold various flavors of cake, immaculately frosted with the color the flavor would be associated with, as well as little bits of decoration like chocolate shavings or strawberry slices. There was also the bread, from regular sandwich breads to specialties like cinnamon, raisin, or banana nut. She made donuts and muffins, though those didn’t feature as many flavors. Suzy made everything fresh, restocking anything with a new batch that morning. At least the shop smelled incredible each day, though all of that work had to take a lot out of her. From what he had been told, she came in before the sun had risen to bake, the lights from the shop being the only light in town. She worked until the sun set or later, and repeated the process the next day. She was extremely dedicated to her craft, and that was one of the things Arin admired about her. She still had that passion.  
Besides the shop, he thought of a life with Suzy. Coming downstairs in the morning to the scent of fresh breakfast, finding Suzy cooking away in the kitchen. He’d murmur an offer to cook if she wanted to go back to sleep, only to have it declined. Arin would smile sleepily and share a kiss that tasted like batter, holding her close in the warmth of the house and the smell of fresh food. He’d end up keeping her in his arms until the scent turned into the bitterness of burning, not minding that it was burnt. Just wanting to hold Suzy, inhale the floral smell of her perfume, the sweetness from being around pastries most hours of the day, her smell. His heart fluttered in these thoughts, making him a happy sort of anxious.  
But some days, he thought of Dan.  
Arin imagined himself on The Grump, wind blowing through his hair, water misting his body as he sailed towards adventure. Dan swam by his side, occasionally leaping from the water like a dolphin. Together, they sought out the world's greatest myths, hunting for an answer and proof. If they were successful, it made quite a bit more money than fishing, and it being fun was a definite perk. Getting to constantly be with Dan didn't hurt either. They joked and laughed about life, what they would look for next, or the differences between them. They’d stop at a rock, letting Dan rest on it and Arin could eat, then they’d take a break and talk even more. They became even closer than they had over the few months, their relationship growing as time went on. Arin felt so comfortable and happy with Dan, he could finally see himself sailing for the rest of his life.  
Once, in the back of his mind, a different thought crept forward. A vision of Arin down on a rock with Dan. They were talking still, but it continued late into the night. Arin couldn’t think of a specific conversation, only the actions that accompanied it. Long glances towards each other and away, flushed cheeks, wringing hands. Then, hands nearing each other. Pinkies wrapping together, developing into hands intertwined. Longer gazes into eyes, flicking down to their hands.  
To their lips.  
Space closing between them, the other hands cupping a cheek and behind a neck, eyes slowly shutting.  
A kiss.  
Now that the thought had arrived, it plagued Arin’s mind.  
He wanted to kiss Dan.  
He still liked Suzy, that was certain. He got butterflies when he thought about her. But the same thing happened with Dan.  
He liked Dan.  
He had never been attracted to men before, or if he had, it wasn’t something he thought about. Dan wasn’t even supposed to be real, either.  
Arin wasn’t sure which was stranger to him.


	10. Back And Forth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a horrible game of "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" with staying versus leaving, confessing his affections or not, it always came back to Dan.  
> What would be best, what could keep Dan with him.

After 4 and a half months, Arin’s raft was finally done. He’d gathered a decent amount of food and water, though he could grab more, just to be safe. He tried the raft on the water several times, with and without his supplies, and it worked. He was ready.

He was ready to leave, but he didn’t want to anymore.

He liked Suzy still. Of course, Arin had known her and had a crush on her for a few years. He went to visit her everyday, but he still didn’t know much about her.

He hated to admit it, but he had gotten to know Dan more in a few months than he had with Suzy over a few years. Maybe it was the fact that Dan and Arin only had each other to talk to, but he felt like they had really bonded.

Earlier in their time together, Arin had debated whether he wanted to leave or not, but now the decisions weighed much heavier on his mind. He’d argued the pros and cons to each side countless times, but could never reach a decision. Today, he was out on the beach, arguing with himself yet again.

“Pro,” Arin mumbled, tracing “stay” and “go” into the sand, then two sides under each for the pros and cons. It wasn’t the easiest way to keep track of his arguments, but he had to make do with what he had.

“If I stay, this life is more exciting. It’s new.” Arin traced “exciting” under the pro side.

“Con. If I stay, I’ll never see my friends again.” Arin frowned and wrote down the point.

He argued back and forth like this for an hour at a time. Dan probably wondered where he disappeared to, but Arin hoped he’d assume he was gathering supplies.

If he left, he’d go back to a life he was bored with, he’d have to settle down with a steady job eventually, risk sailing all the way back with limited food and water, but he could see his friends and Suzy, tell the story, and they would all know he was alive.

If he stayed, he’d never see his home again, he’d die here, killing Dan more quickly by taking more of his food, and he’d never get treatment for his ribs.

But he’d stay with Dan.

It always came back to Dan.

They could spend the end of their lives together, though it wouldn’t be fun, but they wouldn’t die alone.

But what if he could bring Dan with him? Then he could have both. Not romantically, but that could be another decision for another time. Could he carry Dan all the way through the cave, especially with his broken ribs? No, even if Arin could carry him, he wouldn’t be quick enough to get him from one water source to the next before Dan died. Besides, would it remind him too much of how he was trapped here? Being dragged through a cave, then thrown into water?

With these arguments in mind, he had another internal debate keeping him busy.

Telling Dan how he felt or not.

On one hand, if he told Dan, it would be off his chest. Maybe it would become a joke between them. But for it to become a joke, Dan would have to reject him. That would definitely create some awkwardness with the only person Arin had to talk to.

If he didn’t tell Dan, he could avoid all of that. But, Arin’s affections would stay hidden and continue to bother him.

Telling Dan his feelings wouldn’t make deciding to stay or leave any easier, either.

As he kept working through the day, he kept the ideas in his thoughts. As he cooked his meal for the night, as he talked with Dan, even as he fell asleep.

“Stay with Dan… See Suzy… Stay with Dan… See Suzy… Stay…. Tell… Don’t…. Tell….” He murmured each side to himself, a horrible game of “Loves Me, Loves Me Not”, putting Arin to sleep just as well as Dan’s singing.

If Dan noticed Arin’s troubles, he never asked about it. Maybe it was better like that. Arin wouldn’t be able to muster an excuse, and even if he could, he’d have to lie to Dan.

The crush still made his heart skip a beat, it was a great feeling. He could imagine them together, happy in their ending lives with each other. But it was something he didn’t need right now. He already had an enormous, life-changing decision to stay or go in front of him, and now he had a smaller debate that could be another argument for either side, depending on what he chose.

He needed to make a choice. Maybe he’d come to one soon.


	11. Subterfuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan was in a much better mood than usual, considering they would die twice as fast now with Arin here.  
> As he sang and invited Arin into the cool pond water, he discovered why Dan was so happy that morning.

“Arin…” Dan called softly.

Arin opened his eyes, looking out at the pond. Dan was wading around near Arin’s legs, in a much better mood than usual.

“Yes?” Arin smiled down at him. He was so happy that he had decided to stay here, he could live his life with Dan, no matter how much of it was left.

“Come in the water with me, it's nice.” Dan sighed, dipping below the surface before returning.

“You also live in the water, you're used to it.” Arin replied. Dan had played that trick before; he’d come in and find the water was freezing, and then they’d cuddle to warm Arin up. It was a sweet gesture from Dan, an excuse to cuddle, even if it meant Arin would be cold for a while. Dan would wrap his arms behind Arin’s neck, resting his head and messy mop of hair on his shoulder, his hands absent-mindedly rubbing Arin’s neck or carding through his hair. They got as close as possible, wet skin sticking together, Dan keeping them floating. Arin could stay in that embrace forever, and he intended to.

“It's actually warm this time! Come on!” Dan whined with a frown.

“Fine, fine, but if I find that the water is freezing, I'm leaving you.” Arin warned and started to undress.

“It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes…” Dan sang teasingly, and it still made Arin sleepy.

“Don't, I'm gonna fall…” Arin yawned, trying to keep himself stable. Now that he trusted Dan more, he sang more, but Arin still got a little uneasy when he would sing out of nowhere.

“I’m just narrating our lives.” Dan laughed and allowed Arin to finish getting ready.

“Dan, I swear to god if this is cold-” Arin had been creeping up to the water, until Dan became impatient and pulled him in.

To his surprise, Dan wasn't kidding. The water was cool, but it was a refreshing kind of cold.

“See? It's fine, you big baby.” Dan swam forward and kissed his cheek. He stayed close, holding Arin in his arms.

“You're in such a good mood, what's going on with you?” Arin smiled skeptically. He was glad that Dan was happy, but with the stress of surviving here on their minds lately, he didn't think Dan would be so elated.

“Well, getting to see you in underwear is part of it.” His tone was flirty, and now Arin understood why he was so happy.

“Dan…” Arin blushed, looking away from him.

“I am getting so hot, I'm gonna take your clothes off…” Dan started to sing again, holding Arin tighter.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think we were back to when we first met, and all you wanted was to sleep with me.” Arin smirked and tried to reach back to the edge, but Dan just pushed him back against it.

“I don't see nothing wrong…. With a little bump and grind…” Dan’s hands slid up Arin’s chest, resting behind his neck.

“Dan, stop it.” Arin giggled as Dan started to kiss at his neck.

“Let's talk about sex, baby...” Arin started to fall limp in Dan’s arms, being put to asleep. He could hardly keep his eyes open. The kisses didn’t help how relaxed he was.

He barely even felt fingers wrap around his throat.

“Let's talk about you and me...” Dan kept singing as he tightened his grip.

“Dan?” Arin mumbled. Part of it was sleep that made his voice quiet, and part of it was the decreasing amount of oxygen he was getting.

“Let’s talk about all the good things, and the bad things, that may be…” Dan’s voice was shaking, but he kept singing.

“Dan- Dan, I can't-” He strained against his grip. Dan had Arin’s wrists tight in one hand, and his throat trapped in another.

“Let's talk about…” Dan trailed off.

“Dan! Dan, please!” Arin’s voice was inaudible now.

“Dan!” Arin sprung up, screaming his name. He panted, hurting his ribs, but that was nothing compared to what he just went through.

Or, dreamt of going through.

He grasped at the rocks around him, trying to ground himself from the nightmare. It wasn’t real. Arin was alive. He was still in the cave with Dan, uninjured besides his ribs.

“What's wrong? Were you having a sexy dream about me? You kept saying my name.” Dan joked with a squeaky chuckle. If only he knew.

Arin’s screams echoed through his mind. The way Dan so quickly turned from flirty, like he had been when they first met, to murderous, like Arin assumed he would be. The way Dan led Arin to believe that he loved him until it was too late for Arin to realize the truth.

“Yeah. Something like that.”


	12. Worst Comes To Worst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He found himself staring at Dan whenever they spoke, admiring him for too long, thinking about him with a smile. Arin’s eyes traced over each feature of Dan, from his messy head of hair, his soft brown eyes, light blue and green scales dotting his face, pink lips and cheeks bringing out the colors of his face. From the scales sprinkled down his torso, his soft stomach disappearing into hip bones and scales, to his long, flowing tail. He looked at Dan’s lean, bony hands and imagined them in his own. Arin looked at his lips and imagined them on his. Every thought he had about Suzy, he now had for Dan as well.
> 
> Now his arguments of leaving versus staying spun in his mind constantly, along with visions of a life with either of them, how he could leave or survive here for as long as he could. With every waking moment, his thoughts were occupied, slowly driving him insane.

Before the nightmare, he already had Dan on his mind enough with deciding whether to stay or go home, to confess his attraction or not.

Now, he had to worry about Dan killing him, too.

So many details were similar with Dan and Suzy. They both listened intently to him and had that same look of wonder, they both made his heart pound, he had thoughts of dating both of them, and he worried about both of them dying. He wanted to spend his life with both of them.

He wanted to kiss both of them.

He wanted to kiss _Dan_.

He found himself staring at Dan whenever they spoke, admiring him for too long, thinking about him with a smile. Arin’s eyes traced over each feature of Dan, from his messy head of hair, his soft brown eyes, light blue and green scales dotting his face, pink lips and cheeks bringing out the colors of his face. From the scales sprinkled down his torso, his soft stomach disappearing into hip bones and scales, to his long, flowing tail. He looked at Dan’s lean, bony hands and imagined them in his own. Arin looked at his lips and imagined them on his. Every thought he had about Suzy, he now had for Dan as well.

Now his arguments of leaving versus staying spun in his mind constantly, along with visions of a life with either of them, how he could leave or survive here for as long as he could. With every waking moment, his thoughts were occupied, slowly driving him insane.

“Hey there sailor. How are plans going?” Dan looked at Arin, unknowing of the feelings tumbling inside of him.

“They’re fine. I have everything ready, I just need to leave.” Arin sounded exhausted, both physically and mentally.

“Arin…” Dan murmured, eyes flicking around the pattern of the stone floor before returning to Arin’s face.

“Can we talk about that?” He suggested, wringing his lean hands.

“What about it?” Arin couldn’t bare to shift his eyes to Dan. He’d stare for too long, he’d only make this conversation worse for himself.

“I told you I didn’t want you to leave. You told me you didn’t want to either. What are we going to do?” _We._

What are _we_ going to do.

“I don’t know.” That was the conclusion Arin had come to. He was stuck in an endless loop of stay or go, neither being better than the other, neither having a happy ending.

“If you just take me with you, drag me on your raft or something-” Dan was grasping at straws, trying to find some way to make it work.

“Don’t you think I’ve already considered that, Dan?” Arin’s tone became more aggravated as he stared ahead at the stone.

“Listen, if we just-” Dan’s voice rose as well.

Arin couldn’t hold it in anymore.

All of the stresses he’d been facing for the last few months had piled up, and now they were crumbling down.

“I _know_ , Dan! I’ve thought of everything! You are all that has been on my mind for the last month!” Arin shouted, his own voice surprising him.

“...What?” Dan’s voice was softer now, and they were finally looking at each other.

“I have thought of every single thing we could try. You have to understand that. I want to bring you with me, god I do, but there is no possible way with my ribs. If I stay, we’ll starve to death together, which has _somehow_ become a positive, and if I leave, you’ll die alone and I’ll be forced to live with that choice. There’s nothing good here!” There was no stopping him now.

“You weren’t even supposed to get to know me, Dan!” His breathing grew heavier as the floodgates opened. Every emotion Arin had been hiding was spilling out, and all he could do was watch.

“What-” Dan started to question, his expression confused and hurt.

“You're a _siren_! I know what you do! You're supposed to lure people to their deaths with your singing! You told me yourself that you do, that you have!” Arin’s screams echoed against the cave walls, bringing back every word he said, bringing Arin a hint of regret, and more pain for Dan.

“Why haven’t you killed me yet! You could have killed me when I first got here! You were singing then, so why did you stop!?” Tears already welled in Arin’s eyes, hot and filled with an anger he didn’t know he’d been suppressing.

“I was exhausted and dumb, I was the perfect target for you! But all you’ve been is nice!” His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palm as he told Dan everything that was wrong with him.

“Dan- I've tried and tried to tell myself that you could just be nice, you wouldn't have introduced yourself if you were going to kill me, but I can’t-” Arin choked on a sob he didn't know was coming.

“I can't do it anymore. You were supposed to kill me. You weren’t supposed to talk to me for months. That’s not what you do.” Arin’s voice shook despite any effort to steady it. He couldn’t see Dan through his tears, and he didn’t think he would want to.

“Or is that part of seducing me, Dan?! Has this all been some elaborate plan to make me trust you, then betray me? Tell me, Dan, what was the big scheme? Will it hurt more once your victims have fallen in love with you!” The last words echoed most in the silence, repeating in his head. He blinked away his tears, letting them roll down his cheeks so he could see Dan again.

He was shocked. Dan’s jaw had dropped, he looked hurt, and he was shaking.

Arin had told him he fell in love with him.

Arin hadn't even realized himself that he was _in love_ with Dan.

“Arin, I- I do-” Dan sputtered, trying to say something to defend himself, before-

“Dan, I can't.” Arin shook his head, backing away from the pond slowly.

“You were the excitement I wanted. What I needed.” Dan weakly reached a hand out to him, saying stop when his voice couldn't manage.

“But now I need to go back to what's _normal_.” Arin spat the word with disgust, and took a last, lingering look at Dan.

A last look in leaving, and a last look in realizing: Dan would die before Arin would ever return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY.  
>  ~~not really~~


	13. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After several long months, Arin was home.

After several long months, Arin was home.  
It started with one person seeing him, and soon most of the town was out at the docks. Everyone screamed and cried, trying to stop him, ask him what happened, give him food, or say how much they missed him. They all probably thought he had died, since he had been gone for almost a year. But even with all of the tears of joy and love, Arin felt numb. He came back here for a reason, he needed to get there as soon as possible. He needed to get there, convince himself that he had made the right decision. He mumbled in response to any comments from the townspeople, pushing through the crowd, staring right ahead, right at the shop. He went straight to Suzy. His escape.  
Arin entered the shop, his stomach growling as soon as he smelled the pastries he hadn't seen in almost a year. Every individual scent was clear to him again, and he wanted to taste it all.  
“How much for everything?” Arin asked with a smile. Suzy turned around, her face confused from the question, then in shock from who she saw. She almost collapsed, but braced herself against the counter.  
“Arin!” She cried, her smile stretching across her face. She ran around to give him a hug, nearly knocking him over. Arin buried his face into her shoulder, holding her tightly. His fingers pressed into her back, though weakly from his lack of food. He needed to be as close to Suzy as possible, his reason for being here.  
“I was so worried that…” Suzy started, her voice shaking. Arin rubbed her back and hushed her.  
“I know. I'm here now.” He pulled back from the hug with a smile and tears in his eyes.  
“And boy, do I have a story for you.” Arin nodded towards a table and sat down at it.  
Suzy grabbed some desserts, mostly for him, and put up the closed sign. She was in for one hell of a story, and no customer was going to interrupt that.  
Arin told her about the ship crashing, and mentioned living on an island for months, the hardships of survival.  
Nothing about the only thing he thought of on his trip home.  
Suzy tried to offer to go out to sea with him now, but Arin turned her down.  
“Just go out on a date with me instead.” Arin proposed, and they both smiled.  
One year later, they had settled down together in Arin’s house. He gave his ship to Ross, who nearly cried when he realized he would be a captain now.  
He couldn’t bring himself to sail. Not when the sky looked like crystals, the sea looked like stone, and the woman that he’d say goodbye to had eyes like scales.  
Instead of sailing, Arin opened up a bookstore near Suzy’s shop. It was a much steadier job than going to sea, and he liked being able to help people like this. He could help people find a book that would take them to another place, like adventuring.  
It was a new routine. He’d wake up next to Suzy, make breakfast with her, and they’d send each other off to work with an “I love you” and a kiss. They worked, came home and made dinner together, and snuggled up for the night.  
His days were busy now, and he liked staying occupied.  
In his little free time, he had decided to write a book. A secret in the dark of night, while Suzy was still at the shop or once she was asleep. It was hidden, kept in the very bottom of his desk drawer. When he started, Arin sat at his desk one night, grabbed his pen, and just started to write.  
“After living for a while, the magic starts to disappear from life. When you experience, the myths around it start to disappear. Life could still be fun, but it didn't have that same majesty and wonder…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End?


End file.
